1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing condition changing method for changing printing conditions that are used to perform a so-called marginless printing in which an area (colorant application area or print area) having a first area inside edges of a print medium and a second area outside the edges of the print medium is applied a colorant to form an image with at least one edge of the print medium removed of a blank margin. The present invention also relates to a program, a storage medium, a printing method, a printer and a printing system used in connection with the printing condition changing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional printing systems there is a method generally called a marginless printing which prints an image on a print medium without leaving a blank margin at edge (end) portions of the print medium.
Such a marginless printing may be performed by setting a size of an image print area (colorant application area) larger in terms of pixel number than that of the print medium (or paper) and printing an image to extend slightly beyond the edges of the print medium. When this marginless printing is executed, however, a distance that the printed image overruns the edges of the print medium is fixed to a value recommended for the printer capable of the marginless printing. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, an image is printed in a strip area E0 just outside the print medium P which extends outwardly from the four edges of the print medium P by fixed amounts LA, LB, LC and LD recommended for the printer.
When a marginless printing is done by printing an image so that the printed image extends beyond the upper, lower and side edges of the print medium P by fixed amounts LA, LB, LC and LD recommended for the printer, as shown in FIG. 9, certain portions at the upper, lower and side edge portions of the original image to be printed will naturally fail to be printed on the print medium P, i.e., a certain volume of image data is lost from the printed image on the medium. For example, when data D of an original image such as shown in FIG. 10A is marginless-printed on a print medium P, a certain volume of data D corresponding to fixed peripheral widths recommended for the printer is lost at the upper, lower and side edges of the print medium P, as shown in FIG. 10B. As a result, even those image data printed at the lower right corner in FIG. 10B which is necessary for the user may get lost.
In that case, the user has no alternative but to tolerate such a partial loss of image data because there is no means available for putting inside the area of the print medium P the lost image data corresponding to a peripheral print area surrounding the edges of the print medium.